BL Library - Eve’s Faves

Manga Review | A Home Far Away by Teki Yatsuda

Title: A Home Far Away

Author(s): Teki Yatsuda

Artist(s): Teki Yatsuda

Alan never feels more uncomfortable than he does when he is at home. His parents are intensely religious to the point that they are stunted into praying their lives away at home, blaming even the most slight inconvenience on sin and the devil. This would be bad enough, but Alan suffers from a chronic disease that his parents blame on some sin he has committed and believes that prayer and repentance will heal him. Alan's life is suffocating, but he has nowhere else to go.

One evening, having stayed out past curfew, Alan refuses to go home, though he knows he will be punished when he gets home. Instead, he hangs out on the front steps of a restaurant. While sitting there, he's approached by one of the workers, Hayden, who offers to let him out of the cold after his nose starts bleeding, which is a common symptom of his disease. The two share a deep conversation that continues daily, where Hayden reveals that he's a drifter and will be moving on soon. Alan is heartbroken, but what can he do?

The day Hayden is set to leave, after a desperate and emotional confession from Alan, Hayden offers him a chance to escape with him. Of course, there's a chance, even if they run, that Alan will never find happiness, but at least it would be his choice. So the two escape together, trying to find any small moments of joy they can cultivate for themselves while their dark pasts loom over them.

Title: My Beloved North Star

Author(s): Ayu Sakumoto

Artist(s): Ayu Sakumoto

Yuri Mizutani is just trying to live a good life as your average high school student. Every day is no different from the next until he encounters a foreigner who seemingly can't speak Japanese. The guy seems to need help getting to Yuri's high school. Despite his better judgment, he helps the foreigner find his way. The guy is so happy that he kisses Yuri on the cheek as thanks before disappearing onto campus. Yuri is shocked but brushes it off as a strange encounter and moves along with his day.

To his surprise, in class, the strange foreigner is back and is introduced as Kei Satono, a transfer student from the United States. As it turns out, he can speak perfect Japanese and, later admits, only put on an act in hopes of ingratiating himself with the women who have a thing for foreigners. Unfortunately, Kei thought Yuri was a woman, which plays on deeply rooted insecurities Yuri has about his looks, which are more feminine than most. Yuri does his best not to get upset, especially since he assumes Kei will leave him alone once he reveals his gender, but upon telling Kei he's a man, Kei just seems all the more encouraged to pursue him.

Is there a way to get Kei to focus his attention somewhere else? Or is Yuri doomed to be the object of Kei's affection forever?

Title: Unintentional Love Story

Author(s): PIBI

Artist(s): PIBI

Wonyoung's successful career is put on hold after his superior gets caught in a scandal. The company, Taepyung Group, is unsure if Wonyoung played a role in the scandal, so to hedge their bets, they fire him. Needless to say, Wonyoung is heartbroken. His parents were beyond proud of him for getting a job at such a prolific company, so he can't bring himself to tell them about his situation. Rather than finding a new job, he desperately wants to get back into Taepyung Group. To gather his thoughts and wait out the ensuing investigation, with little hope that he'll be brought back, Wonyoung leaves Seoul for the countryside, where he tries to relax.

While checking out the area, Wonyoung happens upon a pottery studio and store where a potter sells all manner of bowls, cups, and the like. It just so happens that the man who owns this store is none other than Yoon Taejun, the chairman of Taepyung's favorite potter who has been missing for a long time. However, he isn't going by Taejun anymore. Instead, the name he answers to is Joohun. Is this the same guy? There's no question in Wonyoung's mind that it is, but why is he hiding out in the countryside?

Seeing this as an opportunity to win back favor with the chairman and get his job back, Wonyoung relays Taejun's location to his former coworker, who talks Wonyoung into getting close to Taejun in hopes of winning an exclusive contract with Taepyung. While Wonyoung feels this is unethical, his desperation pushes him forward.

Title: I Have a Boyfriend

Author(s): PIBI

Artist(s): PIBI

Hyunho is a show-out when it comes to soccer. It's his life, and he hopes to go pro before graduation. When he isn't thinking of soccer, though, he keeps the torch for his middle school friend Gyul lit. Unfortunately, due to unfortunate circumstances in Gyul's family forcing him to move away and Hyunho having to go to a different school, the two never speak again. Even so, Hyunho can't help thinking back to that sweet little boy who gave him the courage and opportunity to follow his dream as a soccer player.

To Hyunho's surprise, he ends up running into Gyul on campus. Hyunho is ecstatic, considering this his chance to confess his feelings to his long-lost love finally, but Gyul isn't the bright and smiley boy he once was. Instead, when Hyunho tries to get close to him, Gyul is cold. So cold that Hyunho wonders if this is even the same person. As Hyunho scours campus to get more information on Gyul, he discovers that most people avoid Gyul simply because he isn't at all friendly and spends all his time studying or working to pay for his little brother's school fees and put himself through college at the same time.

This doesn't deter Hyunho in the least. He's determined to do everything he can to help lighten Gyul's load and, hopefully, woo him in the process. Regardless, he just wants Gyul to be happy again.

Title: Mr. Mini Mart

Author(s): Junko

Artist(s): Junko

Nakaba has become a NEET. He dropped out of school due to intense bullying and has spent every day at home ever since. He would be in high school right now, but the thought of returning to that situation is too much to bear. But being stuck in his room for the rest of his life is neither feasible nor ideal. So when the opportunity to work at a relative's convenience store comes up, he takes this chance to get back out into the world and start a new life for himself.

Unfortunately, it isn't all that simple. His coworker, Yamai, is a big tough guy, and even though they are close in age, Nakaba can't help feeling intimidated by him. Nakaba also can't help hating him, even just a little bit. That is until he catches Yamai saving a kitten in a busy street. Yamai smiles so gently and tucks the kitten into his jacket. Nakaba isn't sure he's looking at the same person. Now that he knows that prickly exterior is hiding a much softer inside, Nakaba wants to get to know this sweet Yamai. But will getting close to another person lead him to a devastating end like his school life had?

There's only one way to find out.

Title: Saving My Favorite For Last

Author(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Artist(s): Tsutako Tsurusawa

Humanity has evolved from cats. To expand their population, they have also developed the ability for all sexes to give birth, if they so choose, and can lure in potential mates with pheromones. Kazui is an expert in using his pheromones, as he spends every evening going out and trying to find someone to inseminate him. Why? Because he desperately wants children of his own that he can raise and love. He was abandoned as a child, and he has always longed for a genetic connection with someone.

No matter how many partners he tries with, his body won't get pregnant. Undeterred, he continues working extremely hard to scrape and save every dime he can to care for his future children. When the contracts for his jobs start to run out, he is offered a position as a manager for a model, which pays way better than many of his jobs combined. He jumps at the chance. On his first day, he meets some of the hottest purebred cats out there, and the particular model he is assigned to is the top Maine Coon model, Noah.

Kazui would love it if a purebred like Noah would help him get pregnant, as purebreds are guaranteed to inseminate their partners, but there's no way someone as sought after as Noah would go for a plain mixed breed like him… right?

Title: Snow Fairy

Author(s): Tomo Serizawa

Artist(s): Tomo Serizawa

Haruki has been living alone in snowy Hokkaido since the death of his parents years back. His life is very routine and ordinary. He helps his elderly neighbors clear their driveways, makes deliveries around the small town, cares for his grandmother next door, and maintains the house his parents left behind. His existence is a lonely one, but one that he enjoys. He never plans to change his lifestyle until he finds an abandoned, snow-covered car on the side of the road. Worried for the driver, he stops and gets out, only to find a strange photographer in the middle of the snow.

Narumi is an animal photographer, and he's traveled to Hokkaido to capture images of an animal called a snow fairy. Unfortunately, he has nowhere to stay but no plans to leave. If nothing else, he'll stay in a tent until he can photograph his elusive snow fairies. Haruki can't bring himself to leave Narumi out in the snow, so he offers him a place to stay in his empty house.

Narumi has no qualms about taking Haruki up on this offer. The routine life Haruki has built for himself is flipped upside down by the boisterous Narumi. Yet, Haruki's not sure that he minds all that much.

Title: Gold Gray

Author(s): Lee Green

Artist(s): Lee Green

Lee Rain has dreams of becoming an actor. He can sing, dance, and act, but having grown up poor and under mysterious circumstances, he's had to claw his way up to achieve the bare minimum, much less his dreams of stardom. Along with the daily struggle of surviving, Rain has an odd ability to smell what he calls “perverts.” They smell so good; unfortunately, they are drawn to Rain like flies. Frustrated, Rain has finally saved up enough for a hail Mary. He plans to drop everything and travel to the United States, hoping to make it onto Broadway or die trying.

On the other side, there is Won Lukas. He's a perfect alpha, bred and raised from the finest stock to take over Roenjoy industries one day. Unfortunately, following his father's death, Lukas learns of a disgusting stipulation left in his father's will for the company. The next president will be the child that can produce an alpha heir. The only way to create a perfect alpha is by an alpha having a baby with an omega, but due to a pandemic that swept through the world, omegas went extinct.

But Roenjoy has a seedy underbelly. Hidden from the public eye, they have managed to create artificial omegas, which they raise from fetuses to adulthood, and upon giving birth, they die within a week to prevent the secret from getting out. Lukas is prepared to artificially inseminate an omega to take his role as company president. Unfortunately, the building where all of the omega research took place is destroyed by none other than Joshua, a subpar alpha and Lukas' half-brother. With his brother vying for his position, Lukas is desperate to find an omega and make an alpha heir, but with all of the known omegas gone, there is little to no hope until Lukas meets Rain.

Title: Intense

Author(s): Kyungha Yi

Artist(s): Kyungha Yi

Jiwoon Kang is nothing more than collateral. After his father, in debt to a large criminal organization, kills himself, the boss, Yoonshik, takes Jiwoon on as collateral. The boss trains him up so Jiwoon can someday work off the debt. In the meantime, Jiwoon learns to kill and becomes Yoonshik's right-hand man. In an open secret, Jiwoon also plays the cooperative, though the unenthusiastic role of Yoonshik's lover. When Yoonshik is sent to prison, Jiwoon is hidden in the redlight district, where he protects the working girls. There, he meets Soohan Lee.

Soohan Lee is mute. He just happened upon the redlight district years ago and, ever since, has taken up residence there, doing odd jobs for a little bit of cash and a roof over his head. His life is rather mundane, even in the bustling streets, that is, until he meets Jiwoon. After getting beaten up while defending a working girl from a customer, Jiwoon comes upon Soohan bloodied up on the ground. Despite their odd circumstances, Jiwoon is compelled to kiss Soohan, which he does. This sends them down a dangerous path fraught with jealousy, violence, crime, and more.

But in the end, will it be worth the struggle?

Title: Until I Meet My Husband

Author(s): Ryousuke Nanasaki

This is the story of Ryousuke Nanasaki. From the time he was small, he always knew he was different. Whether it was the way he spoke, the way he walked, or the things he enjoyed, he never could mesh with what the world expected him to be as a little boy. This only became all the more apparent when he began going to school and was incessantly bullied for being a “girly-boy.” Whether it was by adults or his peers, he was always treated as an “other” until he met Tsukasa. Of course, Tsukasa was Ryousuke's best friend, but more than that, he was his unrequited first love.

This starts a journey of self-acceptance, self-love, and the journey for true love for Ryousuke Nanasaki. Ryousuke has never been what the world perceived as normal, but that would never stop him. He wants true happiness with the one he loves and wants that for everyone, no matter who you choose to love.

Eve’s Faves

Manga Review | A Home Far Away by Teki Yatsuda

Manga Review | My Beloved North Star by Ayu Sakumoto

Manhwa Review | I Have a Boyfriend by PIBI

Manga Review | Mr. Mini Mart by Junko

Manga Review | Snow Fairy by Tomo Serizawa

Manhwa Review | Intense by Kyungha Yi

Novel Review | Until I Meet My Husband by Ryousuke Nanasaki

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